district of oklahoma and jesus g.bernal of california at about 4:30 today. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. hatch: mr. president, some things never change in the united states senate. for more than 200 years, our practice of extended debate has been the single most defining characteristic of the senate. for more than 200 years, extended debate has annoyed the majority and empowered the minority, whoever is in the majority or minority. what has changed, however, is that the majority today threatens not only to change senate rules and practice in order to cripple this tradition and consolidate power but to use unprecedented tactics to do it. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and preserve the fundamental integrity of this body, even if we may disagree about some of the political issues. i want to explain to my colleagues why neither the ends nor the means that the majority has been discussing are legitimate. first, there is no debate crisis here on the senate floor, none whatsoever. in fa